Rural crime fact sheets, 2023: Manitoba

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Demographic and household characteristics

In 2021, 1,391,924 people lived in Manitoba. More specifically, 29% of the population lived in rural areas, while the remaining 71% resided in urban areas.^Note  According to the latest data from the Census of Population, the proportion of residents in rural and urban areas of the province were similar across most age groups. In 2021, 55% of people living in rural and urban areas were aged 35 years and older (Table 1). A smaller proportion of the urban population were aged 14 years and younger compared with the rural population (18% versus 22%).

A higher proportion of residents in rural areas than urban areas were First Nations, Métis, or Inuit (Indigenous) (34% versus 13%). For instance, almost three-quarters (74%) of residents in the rural North were Indigenous, while the smallest proportion (13%) lived in the urban South.

A larger proportion of residents in urban areas than rural areas of the province were immigrants or members of a racialized group. The largest proportion of immigrants (24%) and racialized group members (29%) resided in the urban South.

In 2021, more residents aged 25 to 64 years in urban areas than rural areas had completed some form of post-secondary education, ranging from 63% in the urban South to 38% in the rural North. There was a notable gap in educational status between rural areas and urban areas of the province. In particular, the rural North had a higher proportion of residents with a high school education or below (63%). There were nearly two times more residents that held no certificate, diploma, or degree in the rural North (34%) compared to the urban North (18%).

Rural areas had a higher proportion of residents who met the threshold considered to be low-income^Note  , with the largest proportion in the rural North (26%). In 2021, 14% of Manitoba residents in the rural North were unemployed, which was the highest proportion of unemployment in the province.

It is important to note that the nature and extent of crime is influenced by various demographic, social and economic characteristics. For more information, see Characteristics of police-reported crime in rural areas, 2023: Provincial fact sheets.

Characteristics of police-reported crime

In 2023, almost 3 in 10 (27%) people living in Manitoba were served by a police service covering a predominantly rural area.^Note  Rural areas accounted for 40% of crime (including Criminal Code traffic, Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, and other federal statute offences) in Manitoba.

Data from the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Survey show that police services in rural areas reported 59,434 Criminal Code violations (excluding traffic) in 2023, representing a rate of 14,846 incidents per 100,000 population (Table 2).^Note  This rate was 1.7 times higher than what was recorded by urban police services (8,987 incidents per 100,000 population).^Note 

The urban North had the highest crime rate in the province, with 64,365 incidents per 100,000 population, which was almost eight times higher than the rate in the urban South (8,287). In rural areas, a similar pattern between the North and South occurred: the crime rate was almost five times higher in the rural North than in the rural South (39,545 incidents per 100,000 population versus 8,019).

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While rural and urban crime rates generally remained stable over the past decade, there were large fluctuations in the crime rates in the rural North and the urban North (Chart 1). The crime rate in the rural North has steadily increased every year since 2019. In contrast, the urban North has seen larger fluctuations in crime rates since 2013.

Characteristics of police-reported violent crime

Just over one-quarter (26%) of incidents reported by police in rural areas were violent. The total violent crime rate was over two times higher in rural areas of Manitoba than urban areas (4,156 incidents per 100,000 population versus 1,932) (Table 2). That said, the urban North had the highest rate of violent crime in 2023, at 15,319 incidents per 100,000 population. Violent crime rates increased in both rural (+29%) and urban areas (+28%) from 2018 to 2023.

The rate of violent crime was higher in northern parts of the province in both rural and urban areas. For example, the rate of violent crime in the rural North was nearly six times higher (11,661 incidents per 100,000 population) than the rate in the rural South (2,082). The rate of violent crime was also higher in the urban North than in the urban South (15,319 incidents per 100,000 population versus 1,762).

Assault and firearm-related offences was the most common type of violent crime in Manitoba in 2023. These offences accounted for 3,019 incidents per 100,000 population in rural areas, more than double the rate than what was recorded in urban areas (1,156). The urban North had the highest rate of assault and firearm-related offences (11,719 incidents per 100,000 population), more than 11 times the rate in the urban South (1,022).

After assault and firearm-related offences, uttering threats was the next most common category of violent crime in rural Manitoba. The rate of uttering threats was much higher in rural areas (590 incidents per 100,000 population) than urban areas (235). For almost all violent offences, rates were higher in rural areas than urban areas.

Characteristics of police-reported non-violent crime

Police services in rural areas reported 28,554 incidents of property crime in 2023, representing a rate of 7,133 incidents per 100,000 population—1.2 times higher than the rate reported by urban police services (5,924) (Table 2). Overall, property crime accounted for a smaller proportion of all criminal incidents in rural areas (44%) than in urban areas (64%).

From 2018 to 2023, there was a much larger increase in the rate of property crime in rural areas (+33%) compared to urban areas (+4%).

Mischief was the most common type of crime reported by rural police services in 2023, accounting for 61% of all property crime and 27% of all criminal incidents. Among urban police services, mischief was the second most common police-reported crime (32% of all property crime incidents), following theft of $5,000 or under (non-motor vehicle) (36%). The rate of mischief in rural areas was more than two times higher than what was reported in urban areas (4,350 incidents per 100,000 population versus 1,911). As with violent crime, the urban North had the highest rate of property crime in 2023, at 28,306 incidents per 100,000 population. This was five times higher than the rate in the urban South (5,641). In rural areas, the rate of property crime in the North was almost four times higher than the rate in the South (17,279 incidents per 100,000 population versus 4,328).

In rural areas, 12% of all police-reported offences were for disturbing the peace. In 2023, there were 1,918 disturbing the peace incidents per 100,000 rural population, six times higher than the rate in urban areas (310). In rural areas, the rate of this crime was around 10 times higher in the rural North (6,489 incidents per 100,000) than in the rural South (654).^Note  That said, the rate in the rural North was more than two times lower than in the urban North (6,489 incidents per 100,000 versus 15,311).

Characteristics of victims of police-reported violent crime

Manitoba had 31,971 victims of police-reported violent crime in 2023 (Table 3). Rates were highest in the urban North (14,210 victims per 100,000 population) and the rural North (10,637), well above the urban South (1,664) and the rural South (1,365).

In 2023, 17,411 victims of police-reported violent crime in Manitoba were women and girls, and 14,431 were men and boys. Women and girls represented a higher proportion of victims of police-reported violent crime than men and boys in both rural (59%) and urban (52%) areas. The rural North in particular had the highest proportion of women and girl victims in the province (60%).

The rate of victimization for women and girls was the highest in the urban North, with 16,536 victims per 100,000 population, nearly 10 times higher than the rate in the urban South (1,718). In the rural North, the rate for women and girl victims (12,838 victims per 100,000 population) was more than 8 times higher than it was in the rural South (1,573).

Likewise, the rate of victimization for men and boys was also the highest in the urban North (11,594 victims per 100,000 population), more than seven times higher than the rate in the urban South (1,608). Similarly, in rural areas, the rate of men and boy victims in the North (8,376 victims per 100,000 population) was also more than seven times higher than what was recorded in the South (1,158).

Police-reported violent crime rates were higher in rural areas than urban areas of Manitoba for all age groups in 2023. The rate of victimization was highest among those aged 18 to 44 in rural areas (7,054 victims per 100,000 population). Overall, rates of violent crime in northern areas were higher than southern areas across all age groups.

In 2023, most victims of violent crime knew the accused. In rural areas, 89% of victims knew the accused, compared with 57% in urban areas of the province. In rural areas, the accused was most commonly someone known to the victim other than an intimate partner or non-spousal family member^Note  (34%), while in urban areas it was most commonly a stranger (43%).

A higher proportion of victims of violent crime in rural areas (63%) were physically injured than victims in urban areas (46%). About two-thirds (67%) of victims in the rural North suffered physical injuries, compared with about half (51%) of victims in the rural South.

Characteristics of police-reported violent crime incidents

In 2023, more than 7 in 10 police-reported violent incidents in both the rural (75%) and urban areas (71%) did not involve the presence of a weapon (Table 4). Notably, a weapon was present in 3 in 10 incidents of violent crime in the urban South, which was similar to what was reported in the rural North (28%).

Three-quarters (75%) of violent incidents in rural areas and about half (47%) of violent incidents in urban areas occurred in a private residence. A slightly larger proportion of violent incidents occurred in a private residence in the rural North (77%) than the rural South (72%).

In urban areas, around one-quarter of violent incidents occurred on public transportation, a street, a road or an open area (27%) or in a commercial or non-residential location (26%), which was much higher than what was reported in rural areas (12% and 13%, respectively).

In 2023, almost 4 in 10 incidents of violent crime in both rural and urban areas (37%, respectively) resulted in charges being laid or recommended against an accused (Table 4). A higher proportion of incidents remained uncleared by police in urban areas of the province (45%) compared with rural areas (34%).^Note  The remaining incidents (28% in rural areas and 19% in urban areas) were cleared by means other than laying or recommending charges.

Incidents of violent crime were more likely to be cleared by police (i.e., solved) in the North than in the South. In 2023, 69% of incidents in the rural North were cleared compared to 60% of incidents in the rural South. This was similar in urban areas of the province, with 63% of incidents cleared by police in the North versus 54% in the South.

Family and intimate partner violence

Rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) were highest among women and girl victims, in both rural and urban areas (Table 5).^Note  In rural areas, rates of IPV among women and girls (1,955 victims per 100,000 population) were more than four times higher than rates among men and boys (438), while in urban areas, they were nearly five times higher (722 versus 145, respectively). As with other types of crime, rates were generally highest in the rural North.

Over time, the rate of police-reported IPV has increased across the province. In rural areas, the rate of IPV increased by 37% from 2013 to 2023 (Chart 2). In urban areas, IPV increased by 22% during that time. The largest increase in the rate of IPV was noted in the urban North, which increased by 177% between 2013 and 2023.

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As with IPV, rates of family violence^Note  were higher among women and girls than men and boys across the province. In rural areas, the rate of family violence against women and girls (1,786 victims per 100,000 women and girls) was double the rate against men and boys (884) (Table 5). In urban areas, rates of family violence against women and girls were more than two times higher than among men and boys (446 per 100,000 versus 181). The largest gap in rates between women and girls and men and boys was seen in the urban South (399 versus 158, respectively, a difference of 153%).

Rates of family violence also rose from 2013, with rates increasing by 28% in rural areas and by 22% in urban areas. As with IPV, the largest increase in rates of family violence was seen in the urban North (+110% between 2013 and 2023) (Chart 2).

In both rural and urban areas, rates of IPV and family violence were highest among people aged 18 to 44 (including both women and girls and men and boys who were victims). The gap between women and girls and men and boys when it came to rates of both of these forms of violence was largest within this age group.

A higher proportion of victims of IPV and family violence sustained injuries in rural areas than in urban areas (67% and 58%, respectively).

Between 2013 and 2023, the rate of IPV and family violence increased in both rural and urban areas. In rural areas, the rate of IPV increased by 37% and the rate of family violence was up 28%. This was largely due to increases in the rates of this form of violence in the rural North. Over this period, the rate of family violence increased 42% in the rural North, compared with a 7% increase in the rural South.

Characteristics of accused persons

Across all age groups, the rates of persons accused of crime were higher in the rural areas than urban areas (Table 6). Specifically, rates of crime were generally highest among accused in the urban North.

In Manitoba, men and boys accused represented the largest proportion of those accused of police-reported crime in 2023.

Men and boys were accused of property crime at a higher rate than women and girls in all areas of Manitoba, with one notable exception. In the urban North, there were 12,460 girls aged 12 to 17 accused of property crime for every 100,000 population, higher than the rate of boys accused (9,063 per 100,000 population).

The average median age for women and girls accused in rural areas was 29 years and for men and boys accused it was 31 years, which was similar to what was recorded in Urban areas (30 years and 32 years, respectively).

Incidents that are cleared (i.e., solved) by police can be either cleared by charge (charges laid or recommended against an accused) or cleared otherwise (no charges laid or recommended).^Note  Cleared incidents in rural areas of Manitoba were much less likely to be cleared by charge (34%) compared to cleared incidents in urban areas (65%) (Table 7). This was true regardless of the type of crime.

Property crime incidents were more likely to be cleared by charge in the South than the North in both rural and urban areas. In the rural South, 28% of property crime incidents were cleared by charge compared with 9% of incidents in the rural North. Overall, property crime was most commonly cleared otherwise. Southern Manitoba also had the highest proportion of other Criminal Code violations cleared by charge, with 54% cleared this way in the rural South and 86% in the urban South.

In urban areas, incidents involving youth accused were more likely to be cleared otherwise (49%) than those involving adult accused (33%).  

Tables

Table 1 Demographic and household characteristics, by rural or urban area and North or South region, Manitoba, 2021

Table 2 Police-reported crime, by selected violation, rural or urban area and North or South region, Manitoba, 2023

Table 3 Police-reported violent crime, by victim characteristic, rural or urban area and North or South region, Manitoba, 2023

Table 4 Police-reported violent crime, by incident characteristic, rural or urban area and North or South region, Manitoba, 2023

Table 5 Police-reported family violence and intimate partner violence, by victim characteristic, rural or urban area and North or South region, Manitoba, 2023

Table 6 Police-reported crime, by gender and age group of accused persons, rural or urban area and North or South region, Manitoba, 2023

Table 7 Police-reported crime, by age group of accused, incident clearance status, rural or urban area and North or South region, Manitoba, 2023